How Visible Is Your Online Business?

Being online is hugely important to business these days, but how do you make sure that your business online presence is more visible that that of your rivals? Fortunately, by investing a little time and effort, there are some very easy ways to maximize your online profile, so you appear higher and more often in search engine listings.

Here’s just ten easy ways to help your online visibility.

Duh! Get a website. Quite simply, you aren’t going to have much of an online presence at all if you don’t even have a website. So, if you haven’t already done so, make that your number one priority. Start simply and build it up over time.

Get in an online business directory. Having your company listed in an online business directory has lots of advantages over traditional printed directories. Millions of people use the Internet, while not everyone has a library of printed business directories. Integrate SEO into your listing and watch the online visibility of your business soar.

Social Networking is free, so use it. However, make sure the social network app you use whether it’s Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn is the most appropriate for your business. Using Twitter regularly, for example, to tell your customers about special offers or new products will also help your search engine rankings.

Get blogging. A blog shows people that when it comes to your business, you know what you’re talking about. Most are free. All you need is a little spare time to write. The benefits are higher search engine rankings and increased traffic to your site.

Get talking to people. If there are forums out there that are even remotely related to your business, get on them and start handing out some free expert advice. In return, you’ll see more prospective customers from those forums hitting your site and maybe even spending money. Don’t forget to include your URL in your forum signatures.

Use your data. Google Analytics is free and easy to use and will let you know what keywords are working for you and what aren’t.

Buy Adwords. Okay, so you’re going to have to fork out a little cash on this one, but it really is worth it. If you acquire some keywords or phrases on Google Ads, you’re virtually guaranteeing that your company will show up when someone inputs those words or phrases.

You’re an expert in the things that your business does. So write some articles and submit them to article sites. Don’t forget to do your keyword research first. Always include a small ‘about the author’ section appended to each article. That way, you should see more traffic headed towards your website to see what you’re all about.

Make sure visitors to your site can contact you. A phone number or address isn’t enough anymore. You need email addresses, Skype, MSN, Yahoo… The more ways people can contact you, the more business you’re going to get and the more often those contact details will show up elsewhere on the Internet.

Link to other sites where appropriate – another sure-fire way of getting your site up the search engine rankings.